U.S. patent application number 11/736301 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-06 for bridge driver circuit with integrated charge pump.
This patent application is currently assigned to INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG. Invention is credited to Marcus Nuebling, Markus Winkler.
Application Number | 20070279107 11/736301 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38564646 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070279107 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nuebling; Marcus ; et
al. |
December 6, 2007 |
Bridge driver circuit with integrated charge pump
Abstract
Bridge driver circuit with integrated charge pump, with a
driving circuit section of a charge pump capacitor being formed
with power switch components and/or diodes of a bridge circuit
section.
Inventors: |
Nuebling; Marcus;
(Olching-Esting, DE) ; Winkler; Markus; (Muenchen,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKE, BILLIG & CZAJA
FIFTH STREET TOWERS
100 SOUTH FIFTH STREET, SUITE 2250
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
St.-Martin-Str. 53
Muenchen
DE
81669
|
Family ID: |
38564646 |
Appl. No.: |
11/736301 |
Filed: |
April 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
327/110 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02P 7/28 20130101; H02P
27/06 20130101; H02M 1/08 20130101; H02M 3/07 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
327/110 |
International
Class: |
H03B 1/00 20060101
H03B001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 19, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 018 149.2 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2.-5. (canceled)
6. A bridge driver circuit with integrated charge pump, comprising:
a driver circuit section of a charge pump capacitor wherein the
driver circuit section is formed with power switch components
and/or diodes of a bridge circuit section.
7. The bridge driver circuit of claim 6, wherein the charge pump
capacitor is formed in a distributed arrangement in bridge branches
of the bridge circuit section.
8. The bridge driver circuit of claim 6, comprising the
configuration as an H-bridge driver circuit with two charge pump
capacitors and a power transistor assigned to this as a driving
circuit output stage and diodes of the bridge circuit section.
9. The bridge driver circuit of claim 8, configured for controlling
a DC motor.
10. The bridge driver circuit of claim 6, comprising the
configuration as a three-phase bridge driver circuit with three
charge pump capacitors and a power transistor assigned to this as a
driving circuit output stage and diodes of the bridge circuit
section.
11. The bridge driver circuit of claim 10 configured for
controlling a three-phase current motor.
12. The bridge driver circuit of claim 6, comprising the
configuration as an integrated circuit.
13. An integrated circuit comprising: a bridge circuit comprising a
first bridge branch and a second bridge branch; and a charge pump
integrated within the bridge circuit such that a first charge pump
capacitor is coupled to the first bridge branch and such that a
second charge pump capacitor is coupled to the second bridge
branch.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, further comprising a diode
network coupled to each of the first and second bridge branches and
to an output stage of the charge pump.
15. The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein each of the first
and second bridge branches comprise power switch components.
16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the power switch
components of each of the first and second bridge branches also
comprise a driver circuit section of the charge pump.
17. The integrated circuit of claim 13 configured to drive a DC
motor.
18. The integrated circuit of claim 13, further comprising a third
bridge branch and a third charge pump capacitor coupled to the
third bridge branch.
19. The integrated circuit of claim 18 configured to drive a
three-phase motor.
20. A method of operating an integrated circuit comprising:
providing a bridge driver circuit comprising a first bridge branch
and a second bridge branch; providing a charge pump integrated
within the bridge driver circuit such that a first charge pump
capacitor is coupled to the first bridge branch and such that a
second charge pump capacitor is coupled to the second bridge
branch; and simultaneously using components of the first and second
bridge branches as components of the bridge driver circuit and the
of the charge pump.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the components of the first and
second bridge branches are power switch components.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The invention relates to a bridge driver circuit with
integrated charge pump.
[0002] Such driver circuits of the bridge type are used in
controllers of electric motors or generators and can also be used
for controlling solenoid valves or in similar electromotive or
electromagnetic drives.
[0003] Bridge circuits with several power components are typically
used for control tasks, in which the direction of the charging
current should be reversible, for example, for controlling a DC
motor, which is to run selectively counterclockwise or clockwise.
Because semiconductor power components are pure on-off switches,
that is, they have no selective switching characteristics, their
arrangement in a bridge circuit offers the possibility of realizing
a circuit arrangement with selective-switching characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute
a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments
and together with the description serve to explain principles of
embodiments. Other embodiments and many of the intended advantages
of embodiments will be readily appreciated as they become better
understood by reference to the following detailed description. The
elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to
each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar
parts.
[0005] FIG. 1 a basic circuit diagram of a bridge driver circuit
with semiconductor power switch elements according to the state of
the art,
[0006] FIG. 2 a basic circuit diagram of a bridge driver circuit of
the bootstrap type according to the state of the art,
[0007] FIG. 3 the basic circuit diagram of a bridge driver circuit
with integrated charge pump,
[0008] FIG. 4 the basic circuit diagram of a bridge driver circuit
according to the invention of the H-bridge type, and
[0009] FIG. 5 the basic circuit diagram of a three-phase bridge
driver circuit according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which
is illustrated by way of illustration specific embodiments in which
the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional
terminology, such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "leading,"
"trailing," etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the
Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments can be
positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional
terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way
limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be
utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention. The following
detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting
sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the
appended claims.
[0011] It is to be understood that the features of the various
exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with each
other, unless specifically noted otherwise.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates the basic construction of a bridge
circuit 100 as a driver circuit of a DC motor 101, which has four
equivalent power transistors 103 each with a Z-diode 105 connected
in parallel and arranged in two bridge branches 100a and 100b, to
which drivers 107a and 107b, respectively, are assigned.
[0013] Bridge circuits as driver circuits with the mentioned
applications are commercially available as self-contained
integrated circuits, but there are also integrated power circuits
that contain bridge branches (half-bridges) or combinations of
semiconductor power components suitable for constructing
bridges.
[0014] A significant operating parameter of driver circuits of the
bridge type (also designated, for short, "bridge drivers" below) is
the pulse duty ratio or the duty cycle. The adjustability of the
duty cycle in a range from 0 to nearly 100% in an arbitrary
half-bridge is desirable.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a bridge driver 200 of the bootstrap
type, with which a duty cycle in the range between 0 and 95% can be
achieved. As is to be taken from the figure, this bridge also has,
for driving a motor 201, four power components HS1, LS1 in a first
bridge branch 200a and HS2, LS2 in a second bridge branch 200b,
respectively, and for each of the power components a driver module
207 (of which here and also in the other figures only a single or
one part is illustrated). A characteristic is the assignment of
each capacitor Cb1 and Cb2 in series with a bootstrap diode Db1 and
Db2, respectively, in a parallel arrangement to the high-side power
switch elements HS1 and HS2, respectively, of the bridge
branches.
[0016] The fact that here the duty cycle does not extend to 100% is
associated with the unavoidable quiescent current of this bridge
arrangement, which incidentally results in self-discharging of the
capacitors Cb1 and Cb2.
[0017] The ideal adjustment range of the duty cycle up to 100% can
be realized with bridge drivers, which have an integrated charge
pump. Such a bridge circuit is sketched in FIG. 3. In this figure,
identical or functionally corresponding components as in FIGS. 1
and 2 are designated by corresponding reference symbols and will
not be described again.
[0018] Instead of the series arrangement provided in the bootstrap
bridge driver according to FIG. 2 made from a bootstrap diode and
capacitor with discharge characteristics, each in assignment to a
bridge branch, here a charge pump section 310 is provided, whose
function and construction are known to someone skilled in the art
and which therefore does not require a more detailed explanation.
The charge pump section constantly provides a high voltage for the
actual bridge section, whereby a duty cycle of 100% can be
achieved.
[0019] The charge pump section 310 essentially comprises an
oscillator 311, which drives two charge pump switch elements 313a,
313b that are connected in series between the power-supply voltage
and ground and a series arrangement made from two diodes Dc1, Dc2
connected between the bridge driver 307 and a node K1 between two
bridge branches and the power-supply voltage. Finally, the charge
pump 310 naturally includes a charge pump capacitor Cc lying
between a node K2 between these diodes on one side and a node K3
between the charge pump switch elements on the other side.
[0020] This known bridge driver circuit, which is also used in
practice, functions without failure, but the charge pump
arrangement has considerable space requirements on the chip in the
IC configuration and therefore this bridge driver type is
relatively expensive.
[0021] One embodiment is based on the problem of providing a bridge
driver especially improved in terms of cost, with which a duty
cycle in the range between zero and 100% can be achieved.
[0022] One embodiment includes multiple uses of the component
structures with considerable surface-area requirements on the one
hand as bridge components (in the narrower sense) and on the other
hand as driver components of the charge pump capacitor. It
furthermore includes the idea of using, in this sense, power switch
components and/or diodes of the bridge circuit section
simultaneously as components of a driver circuit section of the
charge pump capacitor. With suitable wiring of these components,
the parallel provision of basically structurally and functionally
identical active components on the chip for fulfilling the
different tasks of the formation of the bridge circuit and the
driving of the charge pump capacitor is avoided.
[0023] Especially in a configuration of the bridge driver circuit
as an integrated circuit, a considerable amount of chip surface
area for the stated components is saved, and in this way the costs
are reduced. A reduction in the total component complexity and
consequently a reduction in cost is achieved in this way basically
also for a non-integrated configuration or, in any case, for a
configuration not integrated on a single chip.
[0024] In one embodiment, the charge pump capacitor is formed in a
distributed arrangement in bridge branches of the bridge circuit
section. Through this distributed arrangement, the surface area
economy of the driver circuit in an integrated configuration can be
improved and a further reduction in cost can be achieved.
[0025] In another construction of this configuration, a first motor
driver circuit, which is significant in practice, is distinguished
by the construction as an H-bridge driver circuit with two charge
pump capacitors and two power transistors assigned to these in
driver output stages and diodes of the bridge circuit section.
Another important driver circuit--especially for a three
phase-current motor--is constructed as a three-phase bridge driver
circuit with three charge pump capacitors and power transistors
assigned to these as driver output stages and diodes of the bridge
circuit section.
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates, in accordance with the representation in
FIGS. 2 and 3, a construction of the bridge driver circuit
according one embodiment as an H-bridge driver circuit 400. Its
components are designated corresponding to the designations in
FIGS. 2 and 3 and are not described again here. An essential
difference with respect to the conventional bridge circuit with a
separate charge pump (according to FIG. 3) consists in that instead
of a single charge pump capacitor, here there are two charge pump
capacitors Cc1 and Cc2, each assigned to one of the bridge branches
400a and 400b, respectively. A diode network having four diodes Dc1
to Dc4 is functionally assigned in this configuration both to the
actual bridge circuit section and also to an output stage section
of the charge pump driver. In accordance with the same principle,
the high-side switch elements HS1 and HS2 of the two bridge
branches 400a, 400b as output stage power components are assigned
to the two charge pump capacitors Cc1 and Cc2.
[0027] In this embodiment, a separate output stage of a driver
circuit of the charge pump is completely eliminated, so that this
bridge driver can be produced considerably more economically than a
conventional driver.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates, as another embodiment, a three-phase
bridge 500 for driving a three current-phase motor 501. Here, the
designation of the individual components is also selected in
accordance with the preceding figures; in a third bridge branch
500c to be added, a low-side transistor LS3 and a high-side
transistor HS3, as well as an associated driving circuit 505c are
also provided to the configuration according to FIG. 3 or 4. Here,
the total charge pump capacity is accordingly divided into three
charge pump capacitors Cc1, Cc2, and Cc3, each assigned to one of
the three bridge branches 500a, 500b, and 500c.
[0029] A total of six diodes Dc1 to Dc6 in parallel or series
assignment to the appropriate charge pump capacitors Cc1 to Cc3
form bivalent components both of the actual bridge circuit and also
of the charge pump driving circuit, as already mentioned in the
construction according to FIG. 4 described above. Analogously to
this, the high-side switch elements HS1 to HS3 of the bridge
branches 500a to 500c are simultaneously elements of the output
stage sections of the charge pump driving circuit.
[0030] The construction of the invention is not limited to the
examples described here, but instead, is similarly possible in any
combination of the features of the dependent claims with each other
as well as in other modifications, which lie within the scope of
technical activity.
[0031] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill
in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent
implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments
illustrated and described without departing from the scope of the
present invention. This application is intended to cover any
adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed
herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited
only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
* * * * *